This Christmas Jam Recipe is fabulous to have on hand for the holidays. It is made with strawberries, cranberries, oranges, and holiday spices. It is also made with Pomona’s Pectin, which requires way less sugar than many other jam recipes.
This Christmas jam makes an excellent gift for the holidays, too, so make up an extra batch to share with family and friends. If you enjoy jam-making, try out other recipes for Homemade Fig Jam, Tomato Jam, Easy Vanilla Peach Freezer Jam, or Strawberry Rhubarb Jam.
Helpful Items For This Recipe
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8 oz Glass Mason Jars with Lids
Canning Kit,11pcs Canning Supplies starter kit Include Stainless Steel Steam Rack
What is Amish Christmas Jam?
We have another Amish recipe for you today with our Christmas Jam. We have changed it up some from a high sugar Amish jam that is made with strawberries and cranberries, to a much lower sugar jam while using Pomona’s pectin. For most of my jam recipes, I don’t use pectin at all, but for this one, I used Pomona’s that gels with a lower amount of sugar or sweetener.
We also added oranges, orange zest, and spices to give this jam a real holiday flavor. It truly tastes like Christmas in a jar.
We loved making another Amish recipe for Peanut Butter Pie, and it was a huge hit for us, so I hope you enjoy this new twist we have on this Amish Christmas Jam too.
What is Christmas Jam made of?
The beauty of this jam is that it doesn’t have to be made at the height of the growing season for strawberries where fresh cranberries would be hard to find. It can be made in the fall with frozen fruit. Cranberries and strawberries can be used frozen along with fresh oranges.
The spices in this recipe add in the perfect amount of flavor to make it feel like a great Christmas recipe without being too overpowering. Each ingredient stands up so you can enjoy the full flavors of this jam.
I find that small jars work best as opposed to larger pint jars, especially for gift giving.
Ingredients
- Whole cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- Orange peeled, seeded, sections separated
- Zest of one orange (Zest the orange above first before peeling)
- Strawberries, fresh or frozen
- Ground cloves, Ground cinnamon, Ground nutmeg
- Calcium water
- Sugar, divided
- Pomona’s powdered pectin
Canning equipment and 4 or 8 oz. jars with lids and rims
How do I make Christmas Jam
Using Pomona’s Pectin, I find that I get a much better result than using liquid pectin, which can or can not give you the same results every time.
Before you begin, prepare the calcium water. There is a small packet of calcium powder in Pomona’s pectin box.
Combine ½ tsp of the calcium powder with ½ cup of water in a jar with a lid. Shake well and set aside. (Extra calcium water can be stored in the refrigerator for future use).
Make sure that you thoroughly wash the canning jars and bands. I usually run these through the dishwasher.
Fill a canner pot 2/3 full of water, place the jars in the water and bring to a boil.
Keep the jars warm either in the canner water on simmer or on a baking sheet in a 225 degree F oven. Place the lids in a bowl of hot water until ready to use.
Preparing The Fruit
Rinse the cranberries and place them in a food processor along with the orange sections.
Pulse until coarsely chopped.
Add the strawberries, orange zest, ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pulse until finely chopped, do not puree the mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan and cook for a few minutes over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
Add the calcium water and mix well.
Measure 1 cup of sugar into a bowl and mix in the Pomona pectin powder, stirring well to combine. Set aside.
Bring the fruit mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat. Add the sugar pectin mixture. Continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes stirring constantly and vigorously, until the pectin is dissolved.
Add the remaining cup of sugar, mix well and return the mixture to a full boil for 1 minute to dissolve the sugar.
Remove it from the heat and skim off any foam that may have developed.
Fill the hot jars to 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch from the top. Wipe the rims with a damp paper towel making sure they are clean, so you get a good seal.
Place the lid on and screw on the band finger tight.
Return the jars to the canner and process under 1″ of water for 10 minutes. Once processed, remove the jars from the water bath and place them on a tea towel on the counter to cool. Increase time for high-altitude canning.
Check the seals; lids should be sucked down, and you should hear a “popping” sound when they seal.
Consume within 1 year. The jam is good for 3 weeks in the refrigerator once opened.
What do you Give Jam with as a gift?
Giving a jar of homemade preserves is wonderful for the holidays, but what do you give with it? Tied up with a bow, it can be given all on its own or be part of a basket of other wonderful items too.
This jam works just as well on Christmas morning on toast as it does Christmas evening with cheese. So you could give a lovely fresh loaf of bread or baguettes with some new linens like dishcloths or tea towels along with a pretty jam spoon.
To show off this jam as an appetizer, give it with a wheel of brie and a cheese knife. Maybe even a cheese board if your budget allows.
Or go all out and present it in the middle of a basket with cookies, crackers, chocolates, and other homemade gifts like hot chocolate bombs or DIY Christmas treats like fudge, bark, almond roca, etc. This is gift-giving at its best.
Pin it HERE!
Pin it HERE!!
Christmas Jam Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole cranberries fresh or frozen
- 1 large orange peeled seeded, sections separated
- Zest of one orange Zest the orange above first before peeling
- 4 cups strawberries fresh or frozen
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons calcium water see step #1 & 2
- 2 cups sugar divided
- 2 tsp Pomona’s pectin powder
Instructions
- Before you begin, prepare the calcium water. There is a small packet of calcium powder in the Pomona’s pectin box.
- Combine ½ tsp of the calcium powder with ½ cup of water in a jar with a lid. Shake well and set aside. (Extra calcium water can be stored in the refrigerator for future use).
- Make sure that you thoroughly wash the canning jars and bands. I usually run these through the dishwasher.
- Fill a canner pot 2/3 full of water, place the jars in the water and bring to a boil.
- Keep the jars warm either in the canner water on simmer or on a baking sheet in a 225 degree F oven. Place the lids in a bowl of hot water until ready to use.
- Rinse the cranberries and place them in a food processor along with the orange sections.
- Pulse until coarsely chopped.
- Add the strawberries, orange zest, ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pulse until finely chopped, do not puree the mixture.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan and cook for a few minutes over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
- Add the calcium water and mix well.
- Measure 1 cup of sugar into a bowl and mix in the Pomona pectin powder, stirring well to combine. Set aside.
- Bring the fruit mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat. Add the sugar pectin mixture. Continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes stirring constantly and vigorously, until the pectin is dissolved.
- Add the remaining cup of sugar, mix well and return the mixture to a full boil for 1 minute to dissolve the sugar.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and skim off any foam that may have developed.
- Fill the hot jars to 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch from the top. Wipe the rims with a damp paper towel making sure they are clean, so you get a good seal.
- Place the lid on and screw on the band finger tight.
- Return the jars to the canner and process under 1″ of water for 10 minutes. Once processed, remove the jars from the water bath and place them on a tea towel on the counter to cool. Increase time for high-altitude canning.
- Check the seals; lids should be sucked down, and you should hear a “popping” sound when they seal.
Comments & Reviews
Karen Seitz says
I’m not from the USA and I’ve never seen this brand of Pectin and non of ours has a calcium packet. Is there alternatives
Tara Noland says
Are you in Canada? That is where I am from and it is easily found in any health food store or online. Once you try it you will be hooked as you use so much less sugar!!
sammy says
Never heard of using Calcium water ???? What is it and why does it need to be used.
Apppreciate any info you can share . Thanks
Tara Noland says
The calcium water comes with the pectin and is used when using a lower sugar recipe for the pectin to work. It allows you to get a great gel without the high amount of sugar that other pectins require.